Adjustable sprocket mounting



May 4 1926. 1,583,157

y G. -c. JETT ADJUSTBLE SPROCKET MOUNTING Filed Sept.v 27, 1922- JN VEN TGR: 'fge 6I Jeff- A77' TORNEI.

Patented May 4, 1926.-

UNITED Asierras 1,583,157 Pari-:NT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. JETT, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN', ASSIGNR 0F TWO-FIFTHS TO WALTER H. STIEMXEJ OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN'.

ADJUSTABLE SPROCKET MOUNTING.

Application med septemier 27, 1922. seriai no. 590,849.

waukee, `in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Sprocket Mountings, of which the'following:

is a specification.

This invention relatesin general to adjustthe like, wherein ad]ustment may be required for the purposesof taking up or slacking up on a chain or other flexible belt trained over the pulley or sprocket, and this invention is particularly adaptable for, and illustrated herein as'applied to, 'the front Creeper sprocket of'an endless chain tread type of tractor, such, for instance, as is shown in my co-pending application, Serial No'. 590,848, filed September 27, 1922.

l Onev ofthe primary purposes of this invention is to provide a mountingof the character indicated which will. be simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and which can be easily assembled and readily adjusted when required. Another object is to provide amounting vwhich will rigidly clamp together 'the four limbs of the forked ways in which the-wheel i or sprocket is adjustably supported, thereby providing a stron rigid and durable con- K struction without t e employment of excess material or the burden of excess weight.

A further purpose is to provide a mountin in which the bearing member forv the pu ley or sprocket also serves as one of the clamping members by which the structure is clamped together, thereby adding to the simplicity, economy and efficiency of the structure as a whole. l

Other objects and many of the inherent advantages of,this inventionshould be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following desription, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings: I Fig. 1 s a side elevation of a mounting embodying a preferred form of my inven- 0 ltion; v

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line-2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional' view on the line 3-3-of Fig. l;

able mountings for spfockets, pulleys and l Fig. 4 is a sectionalview on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

'Fig. 5 is a perspective-view of one of the clamping blocks;

.'Fig, 6 is an enlarged view of one end of one of the adjusting'screws; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the.

forward end of a creeper tractor equipped with my invention.

and particularly-Fig. 7 ,l reference characters 8. indicate generally the forward ends of the side frames of a. .creeper tractor mechanism, the side walls 9 and 11 of which side frames are spaced apart as shown and adapted to accommodate between them the forward creeper sprockets 12. This structure, however, is shown for illustrative purposes Referring to the drawings more in detail, I

merely, as obviously the walls 9 and 11 may be a part of any machine' or support upon which it is desirable to adjustably mount' a sprocket, pulley or other machine element.V

These walls or supports 9 and 11 are loixgi-T tudinally sloitted, as indicated at 13, and to the outer face of each there is xedly secured by rivets or bolts a forked or U-shaped meinber 14 preferably of cast structure in the general shape of a longitudinally slotted plate. The longitudinal margins vof ythe .slot are thickened, providing opposed "ribs 15 having. parallelr opposed faces and inclined outer faces 16,. asrwill be apparent from Figs. 2 and 4. l l

etween these members-14 there is disposed a sleeve 17.which serves the dual function of a bearing for the wheel or sprocket 12 and 'a spacin element between the members 14. This s eeve is provided at one end, as will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 3, with an annular flange 18, the outer face of which is adapted to abut against theinner face. of its opposed member 14, whilethatl portion of the sleeve extending into. thespace between the ribs 15, is flattened at the top and bottom, as indicatedat 19, for the purpose of holding the sleeve against rotary movements. At theo posite end of'the sleeve 18 there is provide a disc 21 having a flanged end 22 similar to the flange 18 and also flattened at the top and bottom where it extends between the ribs 16 of the other forked plate 14. A bolt 23 extending through the sleeve and discserves to retain the parts -in asesmbled relation.

A pair of clamping blocks 24 and 25 are mounted upon the bolt 23 outside the members 14, and these blocks are substantially similar in structure and function, except that the block24 is provided with a recess 26 adaptedto* receive the head 27 of the bolt 23, while; the outer face of the block 25 presents aiiat face' tov the nut 28 threaded upon a projecting end of the bolt 23. l

Each block'i'sjp'rovided on its inner face near the lowerQedge thereof with a groove 29 which is adapted to receivethe lower rib 15, and while the lupper end of the block may be similarly shaped, it is suiiicient for most purposes that the upper end of the lblock -be provided with a rectangular groove 31 adapted .to receive the outer edge of the up r rib 15, as shown in Figs. 2 and '5.

Jhen the parts thus far described are assembled, as shown in Fig. 3, and are securely clamped together by tightening of the nut 28, it will be apparent that upward thrust upon the wheel or sprocket 12 will be transmitted to both the upper and lower ribs of the forked plates 14', since the shoulder of the groove 31 will engage the lower yface of the ppenrib 15, while the inclined faceA of the groove 29 will embrace and be firmly clamped tothe opposed inclined face 16 of the lower rib 15 The parts are, therei fore, all rigidly clamped together to provide s ri g[idly clamped together.

a strong, substantial and 'durable construction.

For the purpose of -adding further rigidity to the construction, the forward projecting ends of the members 14 are provided with vertically aligned eyes 32 adapted to receive a cl'amping bolt 33 equipped with a clamping nut 34 andy projecting between the eyes through a spacing member 35.` When the nuts 34 are tightened u the open ends of each fork member will obviously be n order that the bearin may be adjusted longitudinally of the s ots to cause the pulley or sprocket 12 to exert the requisite tension upon the chain or belt trained thereover, each block 24 and l25 is' providedon its rear face with a )socket 36, adapted to accommodate a pin 37 projecting from the 4headed end' of an adjusting screw 3 which extends loosely throufrh an eye 39 formed on the outer end of the 'member 14. This eye is shaped to provide a socket 41 for the receptlon -of ya. nut 42 threaded onto the screw' 38 and a lock nut 43 cooperates'with vthe vnut 42 to lock the 4screw in adjusted position. When adjustment of the parts is desired, the nut 28 on the bolt 23 and the lock nuts 43 are loosened, whereupon the blocks 24 and 25 and the entirel bearing structure carried thereby `may bevadjusted along thev guideways by manipulation of a wrench applied to the' heads 44 of the bolts 38.

- 1nv order to preclude the entrance of dust vand dirt into the bearing from the s rocket 12, the ends 'of its hub are preferab y surrounded by sealing or packing sleeves 45 retained in position by helical` springs 46, the details of which construction are more fully disclosedin my prior Patent No. 1,383,466, issued July 5 1921.v

It will be apparent, therefore, that I have provided an adjustable mounting in which the various elements 'are all clamped and bound together so as to form a rigid, substantial and durable structure, and that the bearing may be adjusted by loosening the nut 28'and manipulating the adjusting screw 38 and may be quickly clamped in adjusted' within considerable limits without depart-l ing from the essence of the invention as dened in the following claims.

l claim:

1.|In an adjustable sprocket mounting, the combination ofa pair of bifurcated sup-- porting members arranged in spaced relation, spacing means disposed between said Y members and providing al bearing for a sprocket wheel, and means including tongue and groove connections with the bifurcated members for clamping said members 'spacing means rigidly together.

2. In an adjustable sprocket mounting,

and l the combination of a 'pair of bifurcated K members provided on theirouter faces with ribs,.spacing means disposed between/said members, grooved blocks engaging the ribs on the outer faces of said members, and a clamping bolt extending through said block, members and spacing means 'whereby said elements are rigidly clamped together.

3. ln an adjustable-mounting, the combination of a pair of bifurcated supporting members provided 'with ribs presenting inclined faces, blocks enI aging said ribs, a bolt passing `through sail? blocks whereby the saine may be clamped against said members, and spacing means disposed between the members.

4. In an adjustable mounting, the comi binationof a pair vof ]iflncated members each provided on its outer face with an outwardly projectlng rib, a grooved 'block engaging /each rib, spacing means disposed4 betweenv said members, and means for rigidly clamping all of said elements together.

5. In an vadjustable mounting, the combiiiation of a klplurality of slotted support- A with an outwardly projecting'inclined rib,

a sleeve disposed between said members, a wheel rotatably mounted on said sleeve, a pair of blocks provided with grooves engaging said respective ribs, and a bolt extending through said sleeve, members and blocks whereby the same are rigidly lclamped to ether so that upward thrust exerted on said bolt is' transmitted through said grooved blocks to said ribs.

7. In an adjustable mounting, the combination' of a pair of longitudinally slotted members, spacing means disposed between said members having flanges engaging the inner faces of the members and flattened projections extendin into said slots whereby rotation of sai means, is prevented, blocks engaging the outer faces of said members, a clampin bolt for' clampin all of Isaid elements rlgidly together, .an means for adjusting said bolt and the elements carried' thereb lon itudinally of said slots.

'8. In an a justa le.mounting, the combination of a pair of bifurcated members provided on their o`uter faces adjacent said `slots with outwardly lextending` inclined iibs, means for rigidly connecting the outer ends of the bifurcations of each member, spacing'means disposed between said, members, including a bearing sleeve and a disc, each providedwith a circumferential flange and a flattened projection extending outwardly beyond said flange, blocks provided with grooves adapted to receive the ribs of their respective members, a clamping bolt extending through 'said sleeve, disc, members and blocks, and adjusting screws for operatin between said members and said blocks w ereby said blocks may be adjusted longitudinall of said slots.

9. In an a justable mounting, the combination of a pair of bifurcated members, a

`wheel disposed between said members, and

adjustable longitudinally of the bifurcated members, and means including clamping blocks for transmitting upward thrust of said wheel to the lower bifurcation of each member. Y

10. In anvadjustable mounting, the combination of a bifurca-ted member rovidedwith outwardly extending paral el ribs,

means includingI a bolt and a spacing sleeve for rigidly connecting the free ends of said bifurcated member together, a grooved block disposed upon the outer face of said mem? ber-and engaged with said ribs, means for adjusting said block lon 'tudinally of said member, and means for c ampin said block against said member in adjuste position.

GEORGE c. JE'rr.. 

